Plant Guidance by Ecoregions

Ecoregion 9 – High
Plains

Extending from the Panhandle
south to the Pecos River,
the High Plains have been
described as a sea of waving
grasslands. The 20 million
acres of this region fills
most of the “handle
portion” of the state.
It is a relatively high
and level plateau of sandy
to heavy, dark calcareous
clay soils over an impervious
layer of caliche. The winters
here are the coldest in
Texas, with the average
annual temperature being
only 59 degrees. Rainfall
ranges from 21 inches in
the east to about 12 inches
in the west. Sun and wind
rob the soil of even the
meager water it receives
from these rainfalls. Today,
most of the High Plains
is irrigated by the vast
Ogallala formation.

Classified as mixed plain
and short-grass prairie,
vegetation in the High Plains
varies – highly dependant
on location. Hardlands or
mixed lands, sandy lands
or caliche lakes, all give
rise to a very different
plant community. Honey mesquite
and yucca have invaded some
areas that were characteristically
free of trees and brush.
Sand sage and shinnery oak
have spread through most
of the sandy lands.

Playa lakes play an essential
role in this region, and
they are the prime waterfowl
wintering grounds for the
North American Central Flyway.

The regions other name, “Llano
Estacado” or “Staked
Plains” is believed
to refer to the first European
settlers who drove stakes
into the ground to help
guide them across this featureless
region. These early pioneers
found a vast carpet of short
grasses that were home to
enormous herds of buffalo
and pronghorn antelope.
This was also the home of
the Comanches.

The original character
of the High Plains has been
forever changed by the plow,
however unique areas still
remain including some scattered
sand dunes cloaked with
Harvard shin-oak, sandsage,
and little bluestem. Tallgrass
meadows can still be found
waving in the breezes along
the Canadian and Red Rivers.
While few rivers actually
cross the High Plains, these
meager water sources along
the Canadian and Red Rivers
one sustained luxuriant
growths of tall willows
and cottonwoods. Russian
olive and tamarisk, two
introduced species from
the Old World, now replace
these native trees along
the rivers, altering the
natural habitat of kingbirds
and phoebes. Grasses still
provide cover and nesting
habitats for myriads of
other birds, and belts of
trees planted in the 1930s
provide shelter to an amazing
diversity of wildlife. While
the Gray Wolf and elk no
longer occur on the High
Plains, mountain lions,
coyote, Red-tailed Hawk
and swift fox now crown
the food chain. While greatly
reduced, scattered populations
of Lesser Prairie-chicken
still boom to announce the
coming of spring across
the region while flocks
of Lark Buntings and Horned
Larks ply the skies over
this restless sea of grass.